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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. file — a line of people
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. bear — the animal
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. plane — a tool
  12. mug — a face
  13. file — a tool
  14. mug — a cup
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. bear — the animal
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. date — the fruit
  21. row — a line
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. file — a document
  24. mug — to rob

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com